Strategic Investments Amid Challenges

UIII’s ability to sustain its research funding program is particularly noteworthy given the financial constraints faced by many academic institutions. “While some universities have experienced budget cuts due to efficiency measures, UIII has taken proactive steps to ensure the continuity of our research initiatives,” Dr. Umam noted. These steps include forging partnerships with national and international funding bodies, streamlining internal processes, and prioritizing research with high societal impact.

Each year, UIII faculty secure funding from a variety of sources, including domestic programs and prestigious international schemes. This consistent success reflects the university’s rigorous selection processes and the caliber of its academic staff, many of whom are globally recognized scholars in their fields.

a sharp critique of the appropriation of Islamic knowledge in Western academia. She argued for the use of decolonial heuristics—not mere diversity—to transform the field. Her insights on how colonial categories shape “religion” in academic study were particularly resonant for scholars navigating hybrid epistemologies.

Prof. Joseph E.B. Lumbard from College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar, presented ‘Towards Islamic Decolonialism’. He critiqued the secular-liberal underpinnings of current decolonial theories, proposing instead an Islamic approach grounded in divine truth and moral objectivity. His talk highlighted how Islamic ethical frameworks could provide substantive alternatives to liberal relativism in discourses on justice, governance, and human dignity.